One Man Band System

After finishing up at Stone and Friend’s Law Firm, Eric brought Caleb over to his building once again. This time, they took a tour of the second floor, which had been designed to house retail shops. His grandfather’s musical instrument store had already claimed three adjacent units, merging them into a single storefront. Eric stepped into his grandfather’s shop, now neatly arranged inside the new facility, with Caleb following alongside. After looking around for a bit,

"Once Avery starts working as a nurse, managing a child is going to be a lot to handle. If she ever wants to set up a business here... she’s more than welcome to," Eric said to Caleb.

"Hmm... she hasn’t really brought that up yet. She mentioned her mom is ready to lend a hand, so it shouldn’t be an issue," Caleb replied.

"I see. In that case, we’ll just look for tenants to fill these units. We can’t very well leave open space sitting empty," Eric replied.

"Yeah, we can talk through that later... thanks, man," Caleb said out of nowhere.

"Huh... thanks for what?" Eric asked, turning to look at Caleb.

"You’re giving me a shot at serving as CEO here. I’m going to give it everything I’ve got," Caleb answered.

"Oh... you’re welcome. Back when I first arrived in this city and met you, I realized I wasn’t in this alone. That meant a lot to me, considering I was pretty terrified back then too, hehe," Eric said.

"Haha... you idiot, just because of that?" Caleb asked.

"Not just that. I saw how dedicated you were at your old firm too... oh, have you put in your resignation yet?" Eric asked.

"Yeah. Mr. Amar and Ms. Layla already approved it. Right now I’m in a one-month transition period until all my workload gets handed off to my replacement," Caleb answered.

"Sweet... good deal," Eric replied, giving him a thumbs-up.

"Did you tip them off? They already knew before I even brought it up," Caleb said, staring at Eric.

"Hmm... wasn’t me, it was Priya," Eric replied casually.

"No wonder. Avery nearly passed out when she heard I resigned to become the CEO here, hahaha... that’s why she immediately went crazy telling me to get a haircut, trim my beard, and get some sleep," Caleb replied.

"Haha... no wonder you’re rocking a whole new look now. But I dig it on you like this—beats looking like a corpse ready to be buried every day," Eric replied.

"I’m still not used to dressing like this, you jerk," Caleb replied, looking down at his outfit.

"Eric?"

Eric and Caleb turned toward the doorway. They saw Martin standing at the entrance, peering into the musical instrument shop. Both of them immediately walked over toward him, but as they walked,

"Did you invite him over?" Caleb asked in a whisper.

"Yeah... I chatted with him yesterday and dropped him a line saying I’d be here when we headed back. He mentioned yesterday that he wanted to drop by," Eric answered.

"You two good now?" Caleb asked.

"Why wouldn’t we be? I know the whole truth now, even if trusting him and getting back to how things used to be might take a long time," Eric answered.

"Hmm... fair enough, as long as you’re not carrying a heavy heart," Caleb replied.

Stopping right in front of Martin, the man looked at Eric and then at Caleb standing beside him. Upon taking in Caleb’s appearance, Martin’s expression shifted ever so slightly for a brief second before settling back into his usual stoic demeanor. Noticing the subtle change, Caleb extended his hand,

"How have you been, Uncle Martin?" Caleb greeted him.

"I’m doing well. How about yourself? Jade told me your wife is expecting?" Martin asked.

"Yes, Uncle. She’s due next month," Caleb answered.

"Oh, that’s wonderful news," Martin replied.

They let go of their handshake, and a brief hush fell over them as Martin took in his surroundings, the neatly arranged musical instrument store, complete with walls lined with photos of Elliot and his companions.

"Your grandfather?" Martin asked Eric with a smile.

"Yes, that’s right, he’s my grandfather," Eric answered.

"You can really see his energy. Truly a remarkable man," Martin replied.

"Did you know my grandfather, Dad?" Eric asked.

"No... but I met your biological father a few times, and back then he was always telling stories about your grandfather," Martin answered.

"I see," Eric replied, at a loss for words, disinclined to take the conversation any further as he simply stared at the photograph of his grandfather.

The atmosphere turned heavy and awkward once again, growing noticeably stiff. Caleb kept his mouth shut, only adding to the tense silence. Then Martin turned his head to look at Caleb behind him,

"Have you heard that your father and mother are getting a divorce?" Martin asked.

"Yes, Uncle, Jade told me," Caleb answered briefly.

"Of course you already know the reason why, right?" Martin asked.

"Yeah... I’ve known the reason for a while now, actually since back then. That’s why I’m in this city today," Caleb answered, staring right at Martin, bracing himself to take the blame.

"I know, Jade told me everything. It must have been rough on you, being only 18 at the time, coming out here all on your own without any help. For that, I’m sorry I wasn’t paying closer attention back then," Martin replied.

"It’s all in the past, Uncle. No need to apologize. Besides, if I hadn’t come here, my life probably wouldn’t be what it is today," Caleb replied.

"You’re right... absolutely right," Martin said, patting Caleb on the upper arm with a faint smile.

"Thank you, Uncle, for not blaming me for not coming forward to tell you," Caleb replied with a smile.

"Why would I ever blame you? Back then, you left to keep the family from falling apart. That’s something I can understand," Martin replied.

"I appreciate that, Uncle," Caleb replied with a smile.

"Alright, that’s enough heavy talk. How about we go sit outside on the chairs they’ve got set up?" Eric asked, pointing toward the area outside.

"Yes... you’re right," Martin answered.

They stepped out of the shop and took seats at a table set up in the hall, designed as a spot where visitors could eat and rest. Once seated, the tension completely lifted as the three of them chatted casually without any baggage, steering clear of heavy topics and focusing instead on everyday life, especially Caleb’s family as they eagerly awaited the arrival of his baby girl.

After talking at length, they fell quiet for a moment to catch their breath. Then Martin turned to look at Eric,

"So you’re currently in the middle of launching your own company, huh?" Martin asked.

"That’s right, and he’s the CEO," Eric answered, pointing at Caleb.

"Oh, really? That’s great," Martin replied, turning to look at Caleb.

"Well, it’s not quite like that, Uncle. We’re both CEOs—different tracks, but operating in the same building and collaborating," Caleb countered.

"Haha... true enough. You run Elliot’s Production and I handle ER Holdings," Eric added casually.

"Exactly, so we’re both CEOs—one out in front, one behind the scenes," Caleb replied.

"You two are truly remarkable. I’m genuinely proud of both of you," Martin replied.

"Thanks, Dad," Eric replied with a smile.

"Yeah, thank you, Uncle," Caleb added.

Both of them could see the stoic expression on Martin’s face, though his eyes looked heavy with sadness. Naturally, Eric and Caleb understood that Martin wasn’t sad about being left out of Eric’s new venture, but rather because he was thinking about his other son, the one he used to take so much pride in, but who had also brought him to his lowest point.

"No need to dwell on Jason, Dad. There’s no way he’ll dare try anything funny," Eric said, sensing what was on his father’s mind.

"I know, but as untrustworthy and unforgivable as his actions are, he is still my son," Martin replied with a sad smile.

"Did you really meet with Melissa, Dad?" Eric asked.

"Yes... I was stunned when she showed up out of nowhere at my hotel. At first, I paid her no mind because I assumed I knew Jason, but the evidence she presented to me was undeniable. On top of that, two police officers came to see me that same day and confirmed everything Melissa said," Martin answered.

"So... what are you planning to do now, Uncle?" Caleb asked.

"For the time being, I’m staying right here in the city. I’ve already notified the office that I’ll be working remotely, and if any meetings come up, we’ll just handle them via video call," Martin answered.

"That’s a good call, Uncle. To be completely honest, I thought I knew Jason too since we grew up together. I never imagined in a million years he would pull something like this," Caleb replied.

"We can never truly know what’s in someone’s heart. But right now, backed into a corner, Jason is showing his true colors without holding back. So I’m done beating myself up asking where I went wrong. The Jason standing before us today is clearly not the son I raised, even if that reality is a bit hard to swallow," Martin said.

The three of them sank back into silence as no one spoke another word, letting a quiet peace settle over their hearts.